Italy imposes travel ban from India over COVID variant

ROME, April 25 (MENA) - Italy has imposed restrictions on travel from India to avert the spread of a COVID-19 variant as the country struggles with a surge in infections, NDTV reported Sunday.

Italy's Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Twitter he had signed an order barring foreign travelers who have been in India in the past 14 days from entering the country.

India, which is facing a health crisis, is battling a "double mutant" strain of COVID-19. On Sunday, the country posted the world's highest single-day increase in cases for a fourth day.

Italian residents will be allowed to return from India with a negative test result at their departure and one at their arrival and then have to go into quarantine, the minister said.

Italy reported 322 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday against 342 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections fell to 13,817 from 14,761.

Italy has registered 119,021 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak last year, the second highest toll in Europe after Britain and the seventh highest in the world.